Feb. 18, 2021 -- Middle school dances are a rite of passage for young teens. But they’re also obviously not safe during a pandemic.
Monticello Middle School PTA President Niquita Baker found a way around that by organizing a free virtual dance for all students on January 22. As Ms. Baker sees it, “The Monticello PTA looks to serve as a resource for our community. We felt that our students needed a well-deserved break for all their hard work and staying focused over the first semester.” They did that by dancing to their favorite songs and taking pictures in the virtual photo booth.
Like live middle school dances, there was some nervousness and reluctance from students to jump in but she reports that students did indeed dance. Ms. Baker and PTA Vice President Rosalyn Adams attended along with Vice Principal Brigette Pronty and Intervention Specialist Tiffany Mixon. “Even a few parents logged on with their kids.”
They plan to offer another dance in the spring, this time with virtual games to get the students even more engaged. Principal Pronty said, “We just want to give kids a chance to connect socially with each other.”
